Melveen and I met on LinkedIn, she actually worked with a classmate of mine, Greg Yasuda, and I wanted her on the show because she had some really good content on improving the next generation of the workforce, the millennials. Though as a millennial, I prefer the term young professionals.
Not only that, but she’s been an HR rep in the food industry for a long time in really big companies.
Recently forming her own company, her big focus is coaching millennial or young professionals to excel at our jobs and she strategizes with corporations to help them unleash the potential in their current workforce.
In this episode, I ask a lot of questions a lot of people are scared to talk about when it comes to general career advice. We go into how to ask good questions at work, or how to write an email to your boss, how to dress for an interview or write a thank you note and a great discussion about improving manufacturing jobs.
You’ll also learn a bit about the Land O Lakes pet food and crop input business. Who knew?
About Melveen
Melveen Stevenson is the CEO and founder of M.S.Elemental, LLC, a human resources and business advisory firm based in Los Angeles, California. As a certified HR professional with a background in accounting and finance, she helps companies to navigate the human resources “jungle” of compliance, human capital, and leadership challenges. By using an encompassing business approach, she helps to strengthen the infrastructure of organizations from the inside out, specifically through leadership development, operations, training, employee engagement, and career coaching.
Over the last 17 years, Melveen has held leadership positions in human resources operations, supply chain, and talent management at international companies in food manufacturing, medical products, and consumer products. She has also worked internationally.
Melveen began her career in accounting and international banking. With an inspired desire to support and drive organizational success through human capital, she redirected her career and obtained her MBA at Michigan State University’s Eli Broad Graduate School of Management.
Melveen is certified through the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM-SCP) and the Human Resources Certification Institute (SPHR). In addition, she is certified in Extended DiSC® and is a Certified Holistic Health Practitioner.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melveenstevenson/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/m.s.elemental/
Sponsor – BAKERpedia
This episode is brought to you by BAKERpedia – your one-stop, resource that answers all your questions on industry trends, ingredient information, food safety and more. It’s shared knowledge, freely available, always. BAKERpedia.com – we do all the thinking so you can focus on your business.
*NEW* Patreon
Due to our ad cycle being over, we’re trying a different model for My Food Job Rocks. We have opened up a Patreon page! Now you can support My Food Job Rocks if you want to and the reward tiers go from a complementary career advice book, to ad placement and more. We’d love for you to be part of the process. Visit Patreon.com/myfoodjobrocks
Show Notes
What is a common characteristic of food employees?: A common curiosity. They want to know the whole industry.
What do you do in a sentence or less?: I coach millennials and I am in HR consulting
About Millennials:
Myth about millennials about being lazy and don’t work hard. The best performing person on my team is a millennial. They were hungry and willing to do anything to help an organization
Millennials can speak up to the older generation, but you have to speak up
How can you speak up to upper management?:To put yourself out there is to ask questions. The best way to ask questions is to ask for feedback on how someone would approach the problem.
How should young people write an email?: Condense and concise. Know the language like FYI. Sometimes, you might need to ask your boss about answering your emails after hours
Can you describe the steps it took to get to where you are today?: I used to be in accounting. You have to make judgements even though it is a black and white situation. I worked as an accountant in two companies and I learned that I loved working with people,
MBA: I went to Michigan State university for a human resources and strategy. MBA allowed me to get a clean slate in HR. Look for a university with high placement rate. Then got a job with General Mills
Career Tip: Keep in touch with your old employers. They might hire you back
Land O Lakes: They do animal feed? The non dog and cat animal feed
Land O Lakes also does butter and crop input
You jumped ship to start your own consulting firm, why?: I wanted to go into coaching millennials and my focus turned from a corporate HR leader to a HR consultant who can utilize the people in their workforce more effectively
Tips companies can use to make the current workforce happy
Flexibility: To have the ability to work at home
Overall, you have to look into each individual and see what would make them happy.
My Food Job Rocks: I can see the turnaround and shift from people from being stuck to being successful. For companies, I love seeing companies supercharge their workers
Do you have any advice for manufacturing plants to improve production?: Observe the processing cycle and pick up the skills and knowledge. You can understand the nuances of manufacturing and improve efficiencies. You’ll get more leverage too.
You also have to focus on yourself. You, Inc or Adam Inc. Pick up all of the skills you need and in 15 months, leave graciously.
What are people looking for today to get a job?:
Application
Do your research. Glassdoor, LinkedIn, etc. the 2nd level connections are much more receptive on LinkedIn actually.
Your resume or LinkedIn profile must be professionally professional. They also have to sync up correctly.
Interviews
Research the place you will be interviewing. It leaves a bad impression if you can’t complete the tour.
Thank You Notes
Handwritten: Thank you for talking to me, I really enjoyed talking about xyz. Send it ASAP.
General Advice for anyone who wants to go into the food industry: Be absolutely curious. To land a job, you should keep up with the trends to show you’re up to date. Bring in your experience or education. For example, if you’re interested in sustainability, you have to show that you’ve done sustainability projects in the past. If they see that they need your project, they will probably hire you. We are in a time where the employee can choose the job.
Where can we find you for advice?: On linkedin Melveen Stevenson
Generation Z
I have been reading out a few of your posts and i must say clever stuff. I will make sure to bookmark your website.